UnFortunate Discoveries
by sheiksleopardthong
Summary: Sasuke has been missing Naruto and has decided to go back to Konoha to take him away so that they can be together again. Once in his house he finds a poetry book and the remains of their relationship. He realizes it's too late to return Naruto's love.
1. Truth

**So here it is: my next SasuNaru story. I really like writing for this pairing; they're so easy to manipulate! Anyways, this will only be two chapters long so it should be finished soon. Enjoy!

Chapter One: Truth

Puddles splashed under Sasuke's feet as he ran through the woods surrounding Konoha. The moon reflected in them rippled, matching the Uchiha's uneasy thoughts. He approached the city wall quickly and turned, keeping his back up against it. It was relatively easy to get his close.

Too easy.

As expected, the familiar wiz of a flying kunai came towards him, pitch upping until he finally ducked, the blade missing his forehead by a few calculated inches. Sasuke ran along beside the wall until he was at the base of a watchtower. He concentrated his chakra into his feet and walked calmly up the wall and joined his attacker in the tower. Sasuke hit him in the neck and the man slumped, out cold.

The outlaw took a moment to glance out at the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The familiar silhouette elicited a faint smile from Sasuke. He looked around, making sure that no one had noticed him before making his way down and into the village.

The streets were silent, even for two in the morning; not even an owl could be heard. Sasuke was fully aware of the noise his footsteps were making. He passed shops, houses and parks. They were all familiar enough for him to know where he was but Sasuke noticed small things that made his hometown distant. One house was yellow, now, instead of blue; half of that balcony was filled with petunias.

Eventually Sasuke found the apartment he was looking for. The roof had been re-done but other than that it was unchanged. The brunet wondered what the inside looked like.

Sasuke jumped from a crate onto the roof of the one-storey part of the building. He tensed, listening, but no one stirred. From there he crawled into the living room window above him as he'd done all those times, years ago.

The room was clean. Very, unnaturally clean. He had never been tidy and there wasn't even a speck of dust on the shelves.

A cloud moved so that Sasuke could see better. He realized that those weren't shelves; they were boxes. Everything that Naruto had kept in the living room was collected neatly into boxes.

Sasuke explored the rest of the house to discover that the rest of the rooms were like that, too. He searched until the only door he hadn't opened was the bedroom door.

The brunet hesitated; he remembered a pact that he'd made years ago.

– Flashback –

"Sasuke; stay out!"

"Why is that, Naruto-koi? What's wrong?"

"I'm not dressed, Sasuke! Let me get changed in peace."

"It's nothing I haven't seen before. There's nothing to worry about."

"You always get a little to touchy-feely when I'm unclothed. I don't like it," the door closed in Sasuke's face. A few silent moments passed.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll never come into your room unless you say it's okay."

"…Promise?"

"I promise."

The door opened showing Naruto wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Thank you," he said, embracing the older boy.

– End Flashback –

Sasuke wanted to honour that promise to that day but he'd already broken so many; how could one more hurt?

The door creaked open slowly as Sasuke pushed it inward. "Naruto?" He was answered with silence. When the door was all the way open Sasuke could see the whole room was bathed in the white light of the moon.

Sasuke stepped into the room slowly. Nothing had been touched. Nothing had been touched. This room was almost exactly as it had been when Sasuke had left.

He wished he could go back and change everything.

Sasuke sat on the bed which was positioned, as always, under the shadow. He felt the sheets. They were the same ones he'd slept on so many times. Lying down, Sasuke clutched the pillow gently. He felt something underneath it so he sat up again and pulled it out. It was a book, bound in black leather with gold engravings on it. It was a piece of music but Sasuke was never able to learn music. In the bottom right-hand corner was another, smaller engraving. It said "Naruto U." The brunet wondered what was in the book so he opened it to the first page. It help a haiku titled 'Memoirs':

This book is for me  
Though it recalls all of you.  
Therefore it is us.

From the ink smell Sasuke figured that this one had been the most recent entry. He flipped through to find that none of the other poems had titles. The second one caught his eye so he read that one, too:

Blowing dandilions,  
throwing pennies into fountains,  
shooting stars.  
I wish.

I wish over and over  
whenever I can  
but it never brings me any closer  
to my goal.

To become great; to be remembered  
by someone.  
To have people remember  
something I did.

I want to be the best  
and to be respected.  
That would change  
from who I am now...

Sasuke remembered this one; Naruto had recited it over and over during their Academy days. _It's really old,_ he thought, _at least ten years._ Sure enough, it was written in Naruto's old, almost illegible scrawl he'd called kanji. It had taken the better part of a year until Naruto's handwriting had improved even under Sasuke and Sakura.

He flipped to the next page. This one's kanji was also pretty bad, but more legible than the last one:

Carefully treading  
on small stepping stones.  
Trying to get to the other end  
of the rushing river.

I don't want to get swept away  
like so many others before me.  
Trying to get to that promised land  
on the other side.

Stop to catch my breath and look ahead.  
I see you, reaching out,  
egging me on.  
An encouraging smile on your face.

I smile back and I know I need to keep going,  
to make it to the end.  
But you always seem one step ahead  
of me.

Eventually I'll get there  
wait and see.  
We'll smile together; side by side.  
Once I cross  
these stepping stones.

It reminded Sasuke of their Genin days. He'd always been just that much better than Naruto but the blond had never given up; he'd let his frustration fuel him to do better.

Sasuke missed that.

The next one's kanji was much better and had a date in the upper right-hand corner. "January 16th, 1993." Their first date.

Dare I say it?  
Might you know?  
How I feel while walking  
through this dense, deep snow?  
Your hair glistens in the cold air.  
Sneak a glance  
at your beautiful pale face.  
Feel clumsy in your presence,  
with your cat-like grace.  
These forbidden feelings  
I know so well.  
They'll keep me here, suspended  
in this motionless hell.  
Getting nowhere,  
with my feelings.  
So I'll keep walking  
the open wound  
of never-healing.

Sasuke was fully committed to reading the whole book at this point. While all of the poems were eye-opening into Naruto's heart only two others stood out to him.

The obvious fear. of  
That dangerous silence,  
Those subtle movements.  
What to make of them?

You like me, you  
like me not.  
To be, or not to be  
with you?  
It's not my decision to make.

I've already made up my mind.  
But what of you?  
You know very well that  
subtle doesn't work  
on me.

So give me a sign  
of love; or rejection.  
This obvious fear -

- I know it  
Finally recognizable.  
The fear of the  
unknown.

But what don't I now?  
Sadly, I don't know much.  
But I think I could live with that  
if I knew how you felt  
about me.

Sadly,  
Agnostics  
Shan't  
Understand the  
Koncept of  
Ethereal beings.

So, God, don't help me.  
I'll do it myself,  
just like everything else.

Sasuke figured that this one was written about the time he had been contemplating leaving. It seems Naruto had anticipated it.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said before reading another poem. He was sure that Naruto had only written them to guilt-trip him.

close your eyes,  
I don't want you to see me like this.  
As my soul quickly dies,  
No matter how hard I try; I'm such a mess.

clenching my teeth to bear the pain  
You tried, but not hard enough.  
'Dobe,' you call me, spurs my anger  
But it's better than when we met.

then you wouldn't even look at me  
and I was all alone.  
Hate emanating from the pores of citizens  
though they don't know the truth.

The truth is they'd hate me more if they knew.  
No girl would want me  
I can't even rhyme.  
but I don't want any girl, either.

Like I said; they'd hate me more if they knew.

Do you hate me? I don't think so.  
But, then again, I don't know a lot.  
Your pale skin contrasts your dark hair,  
and I can't take it anymore.

Don't watch me falling. Because...  
it would only "add insult to injury."

But that's just what they say  
And I don't agree with a lot of what  
'they' say  
Do you know me? Could you watch?  
My descent into the fiery pits  
of Hell.

Sasuke had always found it funny how Naruto didn't believe in God but believed in Hell.

– Flashback –

"I hate killing," Naruto whispered, shuddering.

"It's not fun but it's kind of our job, Naruto. We need to protect the people."

"That's not what I mean," the blond turned away, frowning.

"Then what _do _you mean?" Sasuke decided to humor his boyfriend instead of poke fun at him.

"They don't deserve to die?"

"Murderers don't deserve to die?"

"No," there was a pause, "they deserve much worse."

Sasuke blinked, surprised. "Do you think so? As long as they aren't able to hurt innocents again; I'm okay."

"They go to Hell."

"I thought you didn't believe in God."

"I don't. But I _do_ believe in Hell. It's the only way I can sleep at night."

– End Flashback –

There was only one poem left. Glancing out the window, Sasuked glimpse a faint pink light on the horizon. Sunrise was near. Sasuke would have to hide out in Naruto's apartment until the next night. _So much for taking him with me,_ Sasuke signed and turned back to the book.

Blowing dandelions,  
throwing pennies into fountains,  
shooting stars.  
I wish.

I wish you knew  
how much I truly love you.  
That your hair is my drug  
and your eyes pull me in.

Into the darkness you emit.  
That I've ended up emitting, too.  
Your ebony hair, I used to run my fingers through.

I still love you.  
But I can't tell anyone.  
Because they'd think me weak.  
That even though you broke my heart  
I can't say away from you.  
Sasuke


	2. Dare

Chapter Two: Dare

The sun was just rising over the horizon when a key turned in the front door lock. Sasuke tucked the book in his shirt and hid in the bathroom, listening. Two people entered the living room. They were both adults; one female and one male.

"Kakashi-sensei I really don't like this," Sasuke recognized Sakura's voice.

"I know, Sakura-chan, but we have to."

"No; we don't! Why did Naruto-kun have to look for Sasuke-kun again? I thought we gave up on him years ago."

Sasuke's mind flustered. Naruto went looking for him again? Sakura continued.

"It's not our fault he died!" Sasuke heard the girl slump on the floor, crying. He burst out of the bathroom and his former teammate and mentor stared at him wide-eyed. "You!" Sakura scrambled over to the brunet and punched him in the jaw. Sasuke took it, still stunned.

Eventually Kakashi came over and pulled the sobbing girl off of Sasuke. "That's enough, Sakura-chan," he said quietly. Sakura nodded.

"Naruto…is dead?"

Sakura sobbed harder. "You still have the arrogance to call him only by his name! After you left…it was like he'd left, too. Nothing was the same. You're terrible!" Sasuke couldn't think of anything; he, for once, pulled a blank.

"If only you'd been here a month ago."

"Kakathi-sensei?" Sasuke looked up at the man.

"No one can forgive you,now," Kakashi's eyes held anger and regret. "You're the reason the 7th Hokage is dead."

That startled Sasuke enough that he stood up. "Naruto became Hokage?"

Kakashi nodded. "Six months ago. He was doing a very good job, too. He just…missed you is all. He was disguised as a traveler and a group of ninja from Amegakure wanted to pick a fight. He did his best but they were Anbu-level. The two boys distracted him while the girl snuck up behind him. I don't know how they did it; no one get the details. He went alone, after all. We're currently preparing for war."

"That idiot," Sasuke breathed, "of course he'd do something like that. Never changed, did her?"

"No, and neither did his feelings for you," Kakashi looked out the window, "I wonder if he anticipated this."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he went and got himself killed so recently just to spite me," Sasuke said.

"How could you?" Sakura screeched. "How could you say something like that? Naruto-kun was our friend! You monster!"

"Yeah," Sasuke looked at his toes, "I am, aren't I?" The group fell silent for a moment.

"We're going to have to take you in," Kakashi finally said. "you're in the hit-list. If we don't we'll both be killed for treason." Sasuke nodded. They came towards him but he held his hand out to stop them momentarily.

"May I please have a moment?" He asked. "I won't be long."

Kakashi nodded. "If you run; we'll catch you."

"I know."

Sasuke went into Naruto's room and removed the poetry book from his shirt. He opened it up to the back cover and took out Naruto's dip-pens that he had used to write. Sasuke sat on the bed and looked out the window at the awakening village. He wished that he could run and destroy the Rain Village team that had murdered the best thing that had ever happened to the world. Sasuke ran his hand along the windowsill, chipping some paint off. He looked down at the book, dipped the pen in the ink and wrote.

Chipped pain on the windowsill  
represents my soul.

Crying loudly, flaking fast.  
No one sees the sadness.  
They just chip and chip and chip away  
until I'm nothing.

Repainted - a new coat.  
Prettier; more attractive to the eye.  
But you just covered up my pain:  
Trying to start brand new.

The brunet took the pen he'd used and rinsed it out in the sink in the bathroom and dried it before putting it and the book in his shirt and joined his former teammates in the hall again, closing the door behind him.

"You ready to go?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah. Thank you," Sasuke said.

"What for?"

"Everything."

Kakashi nodded and took the boy under one arm. Sakura took him under the other. They dragged the exile out, wishing, despite their contempt, that they could leave him there.

Seeing as he'd finally come home.

END

I just finished my finals for grade 11 this morning! I'm so glad I'm off for the rest of the summer! Grad 2011 here I come!

I have another 1-shot story ready much like "Technical Difficulties". It's a ChronaxMaka from the anime/manga 'Soul Eater'. I wrote it in Physics (which I never have to take again!).

I wrote all of these poems a while ago for this story. Although Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo; I own the poems.


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